LA HABRA HEIGHTS – Voters Tuesday easily approved a measure that raises a spending limit but a second that would raise the oil barrel tax finished with only a 10-vote lead.

And there remain an unknown amount of ballots to be counted at 9 a.m. Thursday at La Habra Heights City Hall.

Measure B, the oil tax, had a 1 percent margin, 546-536 votes, while Measure A, the spending limit, received nearly 60 percent of the vote, 647-434.

Measure A would allow the city to spend all of the money from its fire tax by raising the “Gann limit,” an initiative adopted to curtail government spending in 1980.

The second ballot measure would increase the per barrel oil tax from 25 cents to 60 cents, the natural gas tax from 5 cents per 1,000 cubic feet of volume to 10 cents and the storage of gas removal tax from 3 cents per 1,000 cubic feet to 6 cents.

It is expected to raise an additional $84,000.

Both measures were supported by four of the five city council candidates – Brian Bergman, Michael Higgins, Chester Jeng, and Kyle Miller.

Only challenger George Edwards, who wrote or co-wrote the ballot arguments on A and B, opposed the two measures.

Proponents of Measure A called it a “housekeeping measure” saying it would allow the city to spend the money it already has.

“Failure to adopt Measure A would not reduce your tax rate or result in refunds, but would limit the amount available for life-safety and law enforcement services,” stated the written argument in favor that was signed by all five council members.

However, Edwards and activist Stephen Blagden opposed Measure A, saying it isn’t needed and would allow the city to increase spending without voter approval.

Should the city get additional revenue, such as increase in property tax, new money can’t be spent, said City Manager Shauna Clark, without Measure A passing.

The question on Measure B was how it would affect La Habra Heights mineral-rights owners.

Since officials from Occidental Oil Co., which drills for oil in La Habra Heights, weren’t talking, there wasn’t a clear answer.

Mike Sprague started at the Whittier Daily News in April 1984. Since then, Sprague has covered every city in the Whittier Daily News circulation area, as well as political and water issues. Sprague received a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree in political science, both from Cal State Fullerton.